The Dragon’s Lair…
National Dragon Search Project
Newsletter, July 1998
Volume 3, Number 1
 

Contents
Dr Amanda Vincent in Australia
Seahorse culturing a position statement on behalf of Project Seahorse
Seahorse Culturing Update in Australia
Dragon Search National Update
The Federal Oceans Policy
50 Ways to Care for our Coast
Send a seadragon
Free Marine Habitat Posters
Dragon Search – Tasmania
Dragon Search - South Australia
KESAB awards Dragon Search (SA)
MCCN (SA) settles into a new home
Planting for seadragons in South Australia
Ocean by Night
Dragon Search stuff still available
Changes for Reef Watch (SA)
Protecting Gulf St Vincent (SA)
Making Waves
Australian Marine Conservation Society (SA)
Dragon Search poems



Dr Amanda Vincent in Australia

Project Seahorse’s spokesperson, Dr Amanda Vincent, is coming to Australia and will be available for public lectures in most mainland cities throughout August.  Project Seahorse is a global, integrated program of seahorse conservation.  The project does not aim to protect individual seahorses, rather it seeks to ensure the long term persistence of seahorse populations world-wide while also supporting the needs of those communities which depend on them.  The project and its aims are well outlined in an article by Amanda titled ‘Seahorses under siege’ which was printed in the Autumn 1998 edition of Nature Australia.

For those of you interested in hearing Dr Vincent speak, a draft itinerary is listed below.  Please phone the registered contact in your State for more details.  A position statement from Project Seahorse on seahorse culturing, promised in the previous edition of The Dragon’s Lair, follows for your consideration.

seahorse9 & 10 August  - Sydney
Dragon Search Media Launch, public welcome.
Contact Rebecca Raap on +61 2 9247 4120 for details.
11 & 12 August - Canberra
13-15 August - Hobart
Public lecture.
Contact Gary Myors on +61 3 6265 2251 for details.
16 & 17 August - Melbourne
Public lecture.
Contact Tim Allen on +61 3 9650 4846 for details.
18 & 19 August - Adelaide
Public lecture.
Contact Tony Flaherty on +61 8 8302 6568 for details.
20 & 21 August - Brisbane
Contact Di Tarte on 1800 815 332 for details.
 

Seahorse culturing a position statement on behalf of Project Seahorse

Aquaculture expertise should be used to resolve problems with small-scale and low-technology culturing in developing countries, thus providing subsistence fishers with an alternative to depleting wild seahorse populations.  Approval for large-scale industrialised seahorse culturing in other countries should be withheld until all biological, economic and conservation concerns have been addressed.

Wild seahorses are now at risk all over the world.  The rapidly expanding international trade in seahorses for use as traditional medicines, aquarium fishes and curios is unsustainable.  Demand has escalated in response to China’s economic growth and now far exceeds supply.  One consequence is that seahorses are now sought globally, with many exploited populations showing substantial declines in seahorse numbers and sizes.  Most seahorses are now listed as Vulnerable by the World Conservation Union (IUCN).  The European Community and Australia now requires all trade in seahorses to be monitored.

Seahorse culturing has been cited as one solution to conservation concerns and is now being attempted in many countries, including South Africa, China, Indonesia and New Zealand.  Virtually none of these attempts are economically and biologically successful.  As one example, China’s many seahorse farms were too unprofitable to survive the economic reforms in the 1980s, despite their years of culturing experience.

Farming seahorses has proven technically challenging because of problems with diet and disease; seahorses are strict carnivores that succumb very rapidly to parasitic, fungal and bacterial ailments.  Indeed, the term “seahorse culturing” has most commonly referred only to a wild-caught pregnant male giving birth in captivity or to seahorses mating in captivity, with subsequent births.  The seahorse life cycle has seldom been closed (i.e. captive born young producing captive born young), and even then only with very low survival rates (e.g. 10% of a brood surviving to breed).  Moreover, seahorses born in captivity themselves generally produce few and small young, which fail to flourish.

Recent technical advances make it clear that seahorse husbandry problems are solvable, and thus raise the question of how seahorse farming should develop.  Well-managed and judicious seahorse farming may indeed eventually offer some potential to reduce pressure on wild seahorse populations but not all culture attempts will be equally useful.  One common assumption is that culturing seahorses will enable us to flood the market with captive-bred stock and thus reduce wild harvest.  This is unlikely to be true in seahorses, simply because global demand is reportedly “limitless”.  Culturing might, however, reduce pressure on wild seahorse populations if it can provide an alternative livelihood for fishers who currently target seahorses.

An international goal should be to establish protocols for low-technology seahorse aquaculture, which can be employed in fishing villages in developing countries, as an alternative to wild capture.  This would be feasible as seahorse collecting is very difficult and tiring and fishers would generally prefer an easier income.  The development of such alternative livelihoods could reduce fishing pressure on a whole range of marine species.

Seahorse culturing that does not employ former seahorse fishers is likely to prove to be only an economic activity, potentially profitable but of little or no conservation value; this will be the case for most Western culturing attempts.  These latter efforts may in fact pose a conservation threat, simply because ongoing technical problems are likely to necessitate constant renewal of broodstock from wild populations.  Moreover, countries that develop economic activity in seahorse culturing are less likely to implement any protective measures or trade controls that may eventually become necessary for species survival.

Industrial scale seahorse culturing should be permitted only once a full quantitative environmental impact assessment ensures that: (a) the reproductive biology of the animals has been thoroughly investigated; (b) the operation will not be dependent on wild broodstock; (c) the seahorse life cycle can be closed in captivity for many generations; (d) the operation can rear a high percentage of young to market size and maturity; (e) capture of wild food for the seahorses is sustainable; (f) discharges of effluent, disease and chemicals (e.g. veterinary treatments) will not be detrimental; (g) escapes will not occur; and (h) the culturing operation will not promote capture of wild seahorses either domestically or abroad.

Lax or thoughtless approval of seahorse culturing could further endanger the world’s seahorses, while potentially penalising the world’s poorest fishers who have come to depend on seahorses in the face of collapsing marine resources.

Australia, in particular, is increasingly active in seahorse aquaculture, with plans for a A$2 million facility under way.  We would strongly discourage Australia’s entry into seahorse culturing because this industry will do little or nothing to reduce pressure on wild populations and it may actually promote greater consumption.  Australia is home to about 11 seahorse species, perhaps one-third to one-quarter of the world’s total.  Many of these species are at risk internationally because of direct exploitation and habitat damage.  Australia is unusual among seahorse-rich nations, both because it would have the legislative and legal ability to control the trade of seahorses properly and because few or no people currently depend on the trade.  Thus Australia offers a potential buffer against the eventual disappearance of seahorse populations and species.  This will become much more difficult if economic interests in seahorses increase.

For further information, contact:  Dr. Amanda Vincent, Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Ave. Dr. Penfield, Montreal, e-mail: <amanda_vincent@maclan. mcgill.ca\par> or Dr. Heather Hall, London Zoo, Regent’s Park, London  e-mail: <h.hall@ucl.ac.uk>.
 

Seahorse Culturing Update in Australia

Interest in exporting seahorses and their relatives is expanding around Australia.  The following applications have been received by Environment Australia over the last year:
• Tasmania: Application to harvest and export Big Bellied Seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) and application for approval of captive breeding operation from Seahorse Aquaculture Pty Ltd, July 1997.
• Victoria: Application to harvest and export fourteen species of syngnathids from an anonymous applicant in Victoria, October 1997. (Wild animals to be collected from both Victoria and South Australia.)
• Western Australia: Request for approval of the Marine Aquarium Fish Management Plan from the Fisheries Department of Western Australia, November 1997.
• Queensland: Application to harvest and export the pipefish Solegnathus hardwickii, caught as bycatch by prawn and scallop trawlers, by eight Queensland companies, November 1997.

Environment Australia has provided the following information in relation to these proposals:
• Commonwealth approval has been given for the proposals from Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia and eight Queensland companies.
• The Queensland approvals are ‘exceptional circumstances authorities’, section 44 of the Wildlife Protection Act, which do not require such rigorous management procedures but are only for a six month period.  These companies have been exporting by-caught syngnathids for many years and were not able to prepare a management plan prior to introduction of Commonwealth export controls on 1 January.  They are expected to have a management plan completed prior to expiration of the first six month approval period.
• Wild animals have been collected as part of the Victorian, Western Australian and Queensland approvals.  To date no collection of seahorses has occurred (other than those previously taken under prior State permits) from the Tasmanian proposal.
• Culturing is under way in the Victorian and Tasmanian operations, but they have had only a limited number of young produced from animals born in captivity.  Their limited success is why the Tasmanian operation has not yet been granted ‘captive breeding status’.  Both have used animals collected under previous state permits, not under the Commonwealth permits.

On Friday 24th April, Tasmanian proponent, Seahorse Aquaculture Pty Ltd, opened their facility at Beauty Point near Launceston.  In an Examiner article of 27th April, spokespersons for Seahorse Aquaculture made claims of how many young a seahorse can produce and gave estimates of how much dried seahorse they could be exporting in future years.  No statement was made describing what ’they’ have achieved to date in respect of collecting, keeping or culturing seahorses.

Mr Peter McGlone
Threatened Species Network  (Tas)
 

Dragon Search National Update

Dragon Search now has an established project officer in each State where seadragons occur and several other regional support contacts.  With the rapid expansion of Dragon Search in the past 12 months coordinators have decided to hold a conference of project officers and key supporters to work through national organisational structures and general national directions for the future.  The conference is currently set for 3 - 6 September to be held in Adelaide, South Australia.
 

The Federal Oceans Policy

Extending from the tropics to Antarctica, Australia’s oceans are biologically diverse, supporting more than 4,000 fish and 50 marine mammals, together with tens of thousands of marine invertebrates, plants and micro-organisms.  It is the largest extent of ocean managed by any one country and at 16 million square kilometres is nearly twice the size of mainland Australia.

Faced with the enormous task of managing this area the Federal Government has recently released Australia’s Oceans Policy - An Issues Paper.  The 96-page paper, prepared in consultation with the States and the Northern Territory, sets out goals, principles, policy directions and a wide range of specific proposals that will be considered by Ministers when finalising the policy.

Copies of the paper and report by the Ministerial Advisory Group on Oceans Policy which outlines views presented by non-government stakeholders, can be obtained by phoning Environment Australia’s Community Information Unit on 1 800 803 772.  The documents are also available on the Internet at: http://www.erin.gov.au/marine/oceans
 

50 Ways to Care for our Coast

Coastcare has reprinted its popular brochure titled ‘50 Ways to Care for our Coast’.  This informative pamphlet provides advice on a range of coastal issues and explores sensitive habitats, the effects of shell collection, fishing and pollution, coastal birds, boating, protected areas and personal safety.  This guide shows 50 ways that we can minimise our impact on coastal environments while enjoying what our coasts have to offer.  For copies of the brochure or for more information on Coastcare contact Damian Moroney on +61 8 8224 2046 or the State Coastcare Coordinator in your State.
 

Send a seadragon

The Australian Philatelic Group has confirmed that a series of Year of Ocean stamp designs will incorporate a weedy seadragon, an idea initiated by Dragon Search.  This series will be released in October 1998, which is stamp collecting month and will be accompanied by information which the national Dragon Search network has contributed to.  Keep an eye out for the stamps and send seadragons to all your friends.
 

Free Marine Habitat Posters

In time for the International Year of the Ocean, the National Marine & Coastal Community Network (MCCN) has produced a set of three free marine habitat posters of exceptional quality, featuring Australia’s unique south.  The posters highlight: seagrass meadows; kelp forests - the forests of the sea; and sponge gardens.  For a copy of the posters contact your State MCCN Coordinator.
 

Dragon Search – Tasmania

Here we are six months down the track and the reports are still trickling in.  Approximately 60 survey forms have been sent in.  The response by those that have heard about the survey has been very encouraging.  So far presentation nights have been held for Ocean Divers Plus in Launceston and the Leven Scuba Club from Devonport.  Ocean Divers Plus had their presentation at their regular club night at the Pizza Pub.  It was a well attended evening (more than 30 club members) with a lot of interest and support.  The Leven Scuba club had their presentation at Eaglehawk Dive Centre on Good Friday with an attendance of about a dozen people.

The Australian Maritime College had an open day for Sea Week '98 and asked for a Dragon Search presentation.  The afternoon was successful with more than 70 people attending the audio visual presentations.  Information has been sent to all Tasmanian Dive Clubs and the response so far has not been overly fantastic.  It is my belief that many of the dive clubs are still only interested in hunting and gathering and have not yet developed an interest in inedible species.  Work is progressing on some local TV coverage and several newspaper and magazine articles are looking promising.

Several members of the Tasmanian Marine Naturalists Association visited the Kent Group of islands in Bass Strait for six days in May aboard the Windward Bound.  I took this opportunity to conduct several days of dragon searches.

The wife of a US photographer who visited Tasmania last year to photograph weedy seadragons sent the following text about the display of seadragons in the New England Aquarium to Dragon Search.  I would like to know what part of Australia they came from and which Aquarium had enough to loan out for a year.  They have both leafy and weedy dragons on display.

"Dragons Lurk On Central Wharf
Dragons. They’re big mythical lizards with wings, claws, attitude and breath that’s hot enough to melt steel.  But the leafy seadragons prowling around behind the scenes at the New England Aquarium on Boston’s Central Wharf are real.  Waiting to go on display in January 1998 in the new Coastal Rhythms: Creatures on the Edge exhibit, they are among the most stunningly strange and beautiful animals we’ve ever displayed.

Wild seadragons live along Australia’s southern coast.  Singularly elegant associations of skin and bones, these fish are members of the seahorse and pipefish family.  Looking a bit like a seahorse dressed for a gala ball, they very closely resemble the reddish-orange algae in the coastal seaweed jungle they frequent.  This natural camouflage helps them to avoid predators while stalking small fishes, shrimp and, sea worms. “Leafies” grow to a length of about 18 inches (0.5 m) and inhabit coastal waters to depths of 60 feet (18 m) or more.  Leafy seadragons are slow swimmers and often wash ashore during heavy storms.

Like seahorses, male seadragons give birth.  After an underwater lambada of sorts, the female deposits some 200 eggs on a spongy “brood” patch under the male’s tail.  Unlike male seahorses which keep their eggs in a protective pouch, seadragon fathers keep their eggs exposed.  If all goes well, the eggs hatch into baby seadragons in about four to six weeks.

Because the leafy seadragon is so unusual, Australian fisheries officials legally protect this species. Those on exhibit here are on loan from another aquarium that collected them under the strict Australian permitting process. The sea dragons will be on display for one year, beginning in January 1998. Treat yourself to a glimpse of evolution at its most baroque."

Gary Myors
Dragon Search (Tas)
 

Dragon Search - South Australia

The record sheets continue to trickle in, not surprisingly since winter set in most records are of beach washed specimens.  It is perhaps a good time for divers who did not get a chance to send in their sightings from last summer to sit down with their dive logs in front of a warm fire and fill in a few survey sheets.  Also not surprisingly most of the dive records we do have are located at popular dive spots such as Rapid Bay, Edithburgh and Second Valley and beach washed specimens along metropolitan beaches.  If you are travelling to or reside in unusual or distant locations keep a special eye out for dragons, as these sightings will be very valuable to the program.
 

KESAB awards Dragon Search (SA)

Congratulations to everyone involved in the Dragon Search project which was awarded late last year a KESAB Action Award for a medium-sized group.  The award was presented to Tony Flaherty and Vicki-Jo Russell at a ceremony on 8 December, held at the Australian Minerals Foundation, Glenside.  The award recognises the tremendous efforts of supporting groups such as the Marine Life Society (SA) and individuals throughout southern Australia, without whose on-going support nothing could be achieved.
 

MCCN (SA) settles into a new home

The Marine & Coastal Community Network (SA) has recently moved from SARDI and has now settled into its new home at the University of South Australia’s Underdale Campus. For those wishing to call in, Tony is located in A108 of A block in the Science Building of the School of Education; please call for directions.
 

Planting for seadragons in South Australia

Ms Sheryn Pitman, Greening Australia Project Officer, is working with the Patawalonga Board, Mitcham and Onkaparinga Councils and the Coromandel Valley Community Association on an Our Patch project for Coromandel Valley’s Frank Smith Reserve.  It has been named the Leafy Seadragon Friendly Catchment Project to highlight the impact the catchment water has on the ocean environment and its creatures.

The project has two components including revegetation with local native species along a one kilometre section of the Sturt River, adjacent the reserve, to make a native wildlife corridor.  The second component is a proposal to create a mini-wetland within the reserve that is attractive, educational and helps improve water quality within the catchment.  This would also feature guided walks with interpretive signs.

The community will be involved through a series of workshops and forums.  Local schools, Rotary and other community groups, including Dragon Search will also be involved.  The revegetation project is in the planning stage with seed collection and weed removal set to begin later this year.  The mini-wetland concept is in the design phase and will progress through community consultation.

If you would like more information about the Leafy Seadragon Friendly Catchment Project please contact Ms Sheryn Pitman, Rotary Greening on +61 8 8207 8757.

Article adopted from ‘Our Patch to help Seadragons’,
printed in the Patawalonga Water newsletter, July 1998
 

Ocean by Night

A vibrant new art exhibition by wildlife artist Ms Sue Stranger will be launched at the SA Museum from 7 August until the end of October 1998.  Visitors to this exhibition will enjoy the calming influence of the oceanic surrounds, as they become absorbed in the sights and sounds of our Ocean by Night.

Ocean by Night is an exciting art exhibition combining marine art with temperate marine specimens and will highlight the International Year of the Ocean in South Australia.  The primary aim of this art exhibition is to promote the spectacular diversity of the lesser known marine life inhabiting the temperate waters of the southern coast of Australia, and provide an educational component for those wanting to extend their knowledge.  All artworks are for sale, and a percentage of these sales will aid research and protection of our unique temperate waters.

Ocean by Night is part of the International Year of the Ocean Agenda and is supported by the Marine & Coastal Community Network (SA), Threatened Species Network (SA) and Australian Marine Conservation Society.  For more information please contact Tony Flaherty on +61 8 8302 6568 or Vicki-Jo Russell on +61 8 8223 5155.
 

Dragon Search stuff still available

Black Dragon Search T-shirts, green Dragon Search stubbie holders and mouse pads are still available from the Dragon Search (SA) Project Officer, who is contactable on phone: +61 8 8223 5155.
 

Changes for Reef Watch (SA)

After being with Reef Watch since April 1997, Project Officer, Mr Jon Emmett has resigned to complete his Masters Degree and to fulfil a number of other oceanic obligations.  We at Dragon Search (SA) would like to thank Jon for all his good work at Reef Watch and for the support he showed the Dragon Search program.  Jon has generously offered one volunteer day a week to the Reef Watch project for the remainder of 1998 so we look forward to continuing to work with him.  A new project officer will be appointed in early September.  Contact the Conservation Centre on +61 8 8223 5155 for information on Reef Watch.
 

Protecting Gulf St Vincent (SA)

Based on the data already received by Dragon Search (SA) the Gulf St Vincent is clearly a significant area for South Australia’s seadragons.  Since Adelaide was settled in 1836 the Gulf has suffered increasing pressure from the effects of urbanisation.  Loss of seagrass, increased sand movement, algal blooms, degradation in water quality, litter on beaches, loss of mangroves, and sediment on reef systems are all indicative of problems occurring in the Gulf that need to be urgently addressed.  As a part of the SA Government’s Marine & Estuarine Strategy, Ms Pat Harbison has compiled a report which outlines the condition of the Gulf when settlers first arrived in the region, past and current uses, the Gulf’s biological communities, current protection measures and helpful contacts.  Public comments are welcome, for a copy contact the State Information Centre on +61 8 8204 1900 or the Conservation Centre on +61 8 8223 5155.
 

Making Waves

A reminder that Making Waves hits the South Australian air waves on ThreeD Radio every fortnight.  Making Waves is put together by the Marine & Coastal Community Network (SA) and Threatened Species Network (SA), it is produced by Mr Roman Orszanski and currently funded by Fishcare.  Since the last edition of The Dragon’s Lair the show has covered issues including threatened marine species, the Federal Ocean’s Policy, Reef Watch, Eco-trekker, global climate change research and much more.  You can tune in to Making Waves Tuesday’s fortnightly 8.30 - 9pm at 93.7 FM.

Contact Tony Flaherty on +61 8 8302 6568 with enquiries, program suggestions, upcoming marine events or if you would like to volunteer for the program.
 

Australian Marine Conservation Society (SA)

An Adelaide branch of the Australian Marine Conservation Society has been established.  For further information about the society, their meeting times, up-coming events and projects contact Jon Emmett or Rowena McLean at the Conservation Centre on +61 8 8223 5155.
 

Dragon Search poems

Our thanks to several Dragon Searchers who have sent in poems in the past 12 months.  Keep them coming, we will endeavour to print them.

Completing the Circle
    I feel the time is now at hand
When I will see and meet as planned
The live Seadragons swimming in the sea
I am sure the time is right to meet
This magic circle to complete
By the deliverance of my soul to me.
    What is the secret of these Seadragons which swim so deep
And capture my imagination so that even when I sleep
The longing for them is always there
I know it will not be too far in the future
That the revelation of this beautiful creature
Will illuminate my understanding of why I care.
    Why have I been so very blind
But now I am clear enough in mind
All my life I have been waiting for them to appear
I feel, but don’t understand yet - why.
The preparation to snorkel - I will undertake and try
My destiny to fulfil for the reason I am here.
    In February next, south we will fly
To King Island, so that I
Can achieve my aim to snorkel in the sea
It is here I am sure I’ll find
My eventual peace of mind
As when I close my eyes, I hear them calling me.
    1997 © copyright Jean Fischbein
 
 

© Copyright Dragon Search 2000